The S1 will be front-wheel drive, making it the first S-badged Audi to do without a quattro drivetrain. The gearbox will be a seven-speed double-clutch unit, with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Expect the S1 to match the Cooper S’s performance figures; Audi technical development boss Michael Dick has said the firm is aiming for a 0-62mph time of less than seven seconds and a top speed of more than 140mph.

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As I read elsewhere the A1, with its upmarket interior and equipment specification, is betrayed by its dynamics and mechanicals as a 'very nice mirage'. It looks like there's something wonderful there until the moment you drive it.

If the Polo GTI is anything to go by, this car has the real possibility of being a ride/handling balance disaster.

Was going to say how much it looks like a 500 abarth but I see that I'm not the only one to have noticed. Shorten the bonnet volume by 50% and it's basically identical. They need some new ideas in Audi. Surely on a small car like this they could have been a bit more daring.